Chapter 57 Glaring at Each Other
Hearing this, Susan seemed to understand Seb's good intentions.
The resort was out in the suburbs, and after hitting the highway, it was a nearly three-hour drive to Maple Valley.
Seb saw she was exhausted, so he decided they'd crash here for the night. He didn't want her staying at the Anderson mansion and dealing with Todd and Carol's awkwardness. Seb was really looking out for her.
Lying on the soft bed, Susan felt unusually happy and drifted off to sleep.
Back in Maple Valley, Susan and Seb seemed to click even better. She took care of his daily needs, and he made sure she got to her prenatal checkups on time. They'd sit in front of the TV, laughing together like a normal couple.
This morning, after Seb left for work, Susan hit the mall and bought a bunch of stuff to bring home to see Catherine and Dorothy.
As soon as she walked in, she changed her shoes and called out, "Mom, I'm back!"
Stepping into the living room, she saw James on the sofa with Catherine in front of him. Both looked a bit off.
Seeing James, Susan couldn't help but feel angry. She asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"
"What's with the attitude?" Catherine quickly took the bags from Susan and gently pushed her, signaling her to chill.
James, not his usual arrogant self, stood up awkwardly, rubbed his hands, and smiled. "Susan, I came to see Catherine and Dorothy."
Susan sneered and glared at him. "We've lived here for over ten years, and you haven't looked at us once. What's your deal today?"
"How can you say that? I'm just here to check on you three," James said, looking uncomfortable and awkward. Normally, he didn't even know what shame was.
"Well, let me tell you, my mom, Dorothy, and I don't need your concern. We're doing just fine. Go take care of your own family!" Susan snapped.
"Susan, enough. James, maybe you should go," Catherine tried to mediate.
James had no choice but to nod and say, "I'll come back another day."
As he was about to leave, Susan turned and shouted, "Don't bother. You're not welcome here."
"Don't mind her. She's just angry," Catherine explained to James as she saw him out.
Susan was furious with Catherine's consistent attitude towards James.
After Catherine came back, Susan couldn't hold back. "Mom, why do you always accommodate him? You've been divorced for years. It's over between you two. Do you think he still cares? I know him too well. He came because he still needs something from you."
"Susan, you're so smart, you guessed it all!" Dorothy suddenly walked out of the room.
"What's going on?" Susan asked, suspiciously staring at her.
"Go study, this has nothing to do with you," Catherine immediately stopped Dorothy from speaking.
Dorothy shook her head and went back to her room, but quickly poked her head out again. "James came to ask Mom to have you talk to Seb about letting their insurance company handle Prosperity Group's property insurance!" she shouted.
Then she slammed the door shut to avoid Catherine's scolding.
Susan's face turned red with anger. She glared at Catherine.
Catherine quickly waved her hands. "He did come to ask, but I didn't agree. I just promised to talk to you about it. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for Seb."
Susan's anger flared even more, but she tried to stay calm. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? Why do you always let James use you? He doesn't care about you anymore. His heart is with Sophia and Amelia. If we were of no use, he'd step on us and still think we dirtied his shoes."
Catherine had no response and just sat on the sofa, silently crying. Seeing this, Susan felt a pang of guilt and sat next to her. "Mom, Dorothy and I will take care of you. You don't have to worry. If you find someone suitable, you can have a companion."
Catherine blushed. "Susan, what nonsense are you talking about? I'll be fifty next year. How could I still get married?"
"You could live to eighty, and a companion could be with you for thirty years," Susan said, trying to be open-minded.
"Yeah, Mom, I support what Susan said," Dorothy chimed in, poking her head out again.
"Stop it, you two," Catherine said, retreating to her room, embarrassed.
Watching her go, Susan smiled and waved to Dorothy. "Dorothy, come check out the clothes and food I bought for you."
"Okay," Dorothy said, running over happily.
While Dorothy tried on clothes, Susan noticed a fruit basket on the coffee table and frowned. "Did James bring this?"
"Yeah," Dorothy nodded. "It's the first time in years I've seen him buy us something."
Looking at the fancy fruit basket, Susan thought of the hard times they had endured. Her eyes reddened. "But we don't need it now. Throw it away."
"It bothers me too," Dorothy said, picking up the fruit basket and tossing it into the outside trash can.
Afterward, Susan and Dorothy sat silently on the sofa, both feeling the weight of their past struggles.
Especially Susan, who silently vowed, 'I must take on the responsibility of supporting Mom and helping Dorothy. I won't let James and Sophia laugh at us.'
Susan was determined not to let James and Sophia benefit from her.
Even though Seb, out of respect for his teacher, had given the employee life insurance of Prosperity Group to James and Sophia's company, he was a principled man. The company's property insurance was crucial, and he wouldn't trust such a significant policy to a small company like James's. James should stop dreaming.
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